LA Times Crossword 28 Oct 19, Monday

Constructed by: Craig Stowe
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Reveal Answer: Middle Ground

Themed answers are common “x AND y” phrases, and each includes LAND as a hidden word:

52A Compromising standpoint … and what the answers to starred clues contain? : MIDDLE GROUND

20A *Do business shrewdly : WHEEL AND DEAL
28A *Murmur lovingly : BILL AND COO
34A *Basic experimentation method : TRIAL AND ERROR
41A *Like a typical walking stride : HEEL AND TOE

Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers

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Bill’s time: 5m 16s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

15 Actress Gilbert of “The Conners” : SARA

Actress Sara Gilbert grew up playing Darlene on the sitcom “Roseanne” from 1988 to 1997. Today Gilbert appears fairly often on another hit sitcom, namely “The Big Bang Theory”. You can also see her on the daytime talk show called “The Talk”, a show that she herself created. And, she made a comeback as Darlene in 2018 in the “Roseanne” reboot(s).

“The Conners” is a spin-off sitcom of the hit TV show “Roseanne”. The spin-off came about after the cancellation of the “Roseanne” reboot in 2018, following a tweet by Roseanne Barr that was viewed as racist. The spin-off show features the main cast from “Roseanne”, but drops the title character Roseanne Conner.

17 What “Ten-hut!” is short for : ATTENTION

“Ten-hut!” is a term used in the US military that means “Come to attention!”.

27 Walmart warehouse club : SAM’S

Sam’s Club is a warehouse club that is owned and operated by Walmart. It is named after the company’s founder Sam Walton.

28 *Murmur lovingly : BILL AND COO

When birds bill and coo together they touch beaks and make noises to each other. The term “bill and coo” is also used when two lovers talk quietly to each other, and kiss.

32 Muslim mystic : SUFI

A sufi is a Muslim mystic, an ascetic. Apparently, the term “sufi” can be translated as “man of wool”. This might be a reference to the practice of donning holy garments made from wool, as opposed to silk.

33 Lake near Carson City : TAHOE

Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada, and was named for the Carson River. The river was named for Kit Carson, the scout who accompanied the team of European Americans who first arrived in the area in 1843. Carson City was designated state capital in 1864.

39 Sea item sold by 39-Down, in a tongue-twister : SHELL
(39D See 39-Across : SHE)

She sells sea-shells on the sea-shore.
The shells she sells are sea-shells, I’m sure.
For if she sells sea-shells on the sea-shore
Then I’m sure she sells sea-shore shells.

44 Bygone Japanese audio brand : AIWA

Aiwa was a Japanese company that produced consumer electronics, mainly audio and video equipment. Sony bought Aiwa in 2002 and eventually discontinued the brand in 2006. The Aiwa trademark was acquired by a Chicago-based consumer electronics company in 2015.

49 Boardroom VIP : CEO

Chief executive officer (CEO)

50 The Lone __ : RANGER

“The Lone Ranger” was both a radio and television show that dated back to its first radio performance in 1933 on a Detroit station. The line “Hi-yo, Silver! Away!” was a device used in the storyline to signal that a riding sequence was starting; so cue the music!

58 Belittle : DENIGRATE

To denigrate is to defame, to cast aspersions on someone’s reputation. The term comes from the Latin verb “denigrare” meaning “to blacken”.

59 17-syllable Japanese poem : HAIKU

A haiku is a very elegant form of Japanese verse. When writing a haiku in English we tend to impose the rule that the verse must contain 17 syllables. This restriction comes from the rule in Japanese that the verse must contain 17 sound units called “moras”, but moras and syllables aren’t the same thing. Sadly, the difference is not so clear to me. Here’s an example of a Haiku:

Haikus are easy
But sometimes they don’t make sense
Refrigerator

60 Suffix with major : -ETTE

A drum major is a leader of a marching band, and is a position that originated in the British Army Corp of Drums in 1650. The drum major’s job is to lead the group and ensure that the whole ensemble keeps time. To help him do so, a drum major often uses a large baton. Over time, it became customary for the baton to be twirled and tossed in an elaborate display. The drum major tradition was embraced by high school marching bands in America. Drum-majorettes became popular in the 1930s, with groups of females taking up baton-twirling and marching with bands. According to an article in “Life” magazine published on October 10th, 1938, “the perfect majorette is a pert, shapely, smiling extrovert, who loves big, noisy crowds and knows how to make those crowds love her.” It was a different time …

61 Auth. unknown : ANON

Anonymous (anon.)

62 Desert retreats : OASES

An isolated area of vegetation in a desert is called an oasis (plural “oases”). As water is needed for plant growth, an oasis might also include a spring, pond or small lake. We often use the term “oasis” more generally to describe a haven, a place of rest.

63 Monica’s brother on “Friends” : ROSS

Ross Geller is the character on “Friends” played by David Schwimmer. The role was actually written with Schwimmer in mind, and so Ross was the first of the “Friends” to be cast.

64 German thinker Immanuel : KANT

Immanuel Kant was an 18th-century, German philosopher. Kant published “Perpetual Peace” in 1795, laying out what he believed were conditions for ending all wars and creating a lasting peace. The good news for us is that one of these conditions was to have a world full of constitutional republics, so it seems we are on the right track here in the US!

Down

1 Reproduces like salmon : SPAWNS

When young salmon (born in freshwater) are at the smolt stage, they become adapted to saltwater and head for the sea. They return to freshwater to reproduce, often traveling long distances upstream.

2 __ Gibson, first African-American to win a Grand Slam tennis title : ALTHEA

Althea Gibson was known as “the Jackie Robinson of tennis” as she broke the “color barrier” and became the first African-American woman to win a Grand Slam title, in France in 1956. She was quite the athlete and was a great golfer as well as a great tennis player. She was the first African-American woman to play in the Ladies PGA tour, although she never had a win. Outside of sport, she sang a little and recorded an album, and even appeared in a movie (“The Horse Soldiers”) with John Wayne and William Holden. Sadly, towards the end of her life she ended up destitute and on welfare. When her plight was made known in a tennis magazine, well-wishers from all over the world sent her gifts of money, a total of nearly one million dollars. Quite a story …

5 Turkey’s largest city : ISTANBUL

Istanbul, Turkey (formerly “Byzantium” and “Constantinople”) is the only metropolis in the world that is situated in two continents. The city extends both on the European side and on the Asian side of the Bosphorus river.

10 List-shortening abbr. : ET AL

“Et alii” (et al.) is the equivalent of “et cetera” (etc.), with “et cetera” being used in place of a list of objects, and “et alii” used for a list of names. In fact, “et al.” can stand for “et alii” (a group of males, or males and females), “et aliae” (a group of women) and “et alia” (a group of neuter nouns, or a group of people where the intent is to retain gender-neutrality).

11 Courteney who played Monica on “Friends” : COX

Courteney Cox played Monica Geller on the incredibly successful sitcom “Friends”. Before “Friends” she played the girlfriend of Michael J. Fox’s character on “Family Ties” for a couple of years in the late eighties. Her role in “Friends” was her biggest success, no question, when she and her fellow female co-stars became the highest paid TV actresses ever, earning a million dollars per episode.

18 Phillies’ div. : NLE

National League East (NLE)

Philadelphia’s baseball team was founded in 1883 as the Quakers, with the name changing to “Philadelphias” and “Phillies” not long into the team’s history. The Phillies have been based in the same city using the same team name longer than any other team in US professional sports.

24 Twice cuatro : OCHO

In Spanish, “cuatro y cuatro” (four plus four) is “ocho” (eight).

26 Forest female : DOE

A male deer is usually called a buck, and a female is a doe. However, the male red deer is usually referred to as a stag. The males of even larger species of deer are often called bulls, and females cows. In older English, male deer of over 5 years were called harts, and females of over 3 years were called hinds. The young of small species are known as fawns, and of larger species are called calves. All very confusing …

29 “__ tree falls in the forest … ” : IF A

If a tree falls in the forest and nobody’s around to hear it, does it make a sound? Answers on a postcard please …

30 High-end chocolatier : LINDT

The delicious Swiss chocolate sold under the Lindt brand name has its origins in a small confectionery store in Zurich in the 1840s. Lindt purchased the San Francisco-based chocolate company Ghirardelli back in 1998.

31 __ es Salaam : DAR

Dar es Salaam is the largest city in Tanzania, and sits right on the east coast of Africa. The city’s name is usually translated from Arabic as “Haven of Peace”.

35 Oboe or clarinet : REED

The oboe is perhaps my favorite of the reed instruments. The name “oboe” comes from the French “hautbois” which means “high wood”.

The clarinet is a lovely-sounding instrument, isn’t it? The name “clarinet” comes from the Italian word “clarino” meaning “trumpet”, with the “-et” suffix indicating “small”.

37 __ volente: God willing : DEO

“Deo volente” is Latin for “God willing”. If you read letters or emails from Ireland, you might come across “D.V.” in the text, as it is an abbreviation that we Irish commonly use to mean “God willing” or “Please God”.

42 Nancy Drew’s beau : NED

I loved the “Nancy Drew” mysteries as a kid (I know, as a boy I “shouldn’t” have been reading girls’ books!). The “Nancy Drew stories” were written by a number of ghost writers, although the character was introduced by Edward Stratemeyer in 1930. Nancy Drew’s boyfriend is Ned Nickerson, a college student from Emerson.

44 Arctic jacket : ANORAK

Anoraks really aren’t very popular over here in America. Everyone has one in Ireland! An anorak is a heavy jacket with a hood, often lined with fur (or fake fur), and is an invention of the Inuit people.

45 Exotic lizard kept as a pet : IGUANA

An iguana is a lizard, and as such is cold-blooded. There are times when pet iguanas need heat from an IR lamp to maintain body temperature.

51 Buenos Aires’ country: Abbr. : ARG

Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina, and is located on the estuary of the Ria de la Plata. As it is a port city, the people of Buenos Aires are known as porteños (“people of the port”).

52 Karaoke prop that often ends in “c” nowadays : MIKE

“Karate” is a Japanese word meaning “empty hand”, and the related word “karaoke” translates as “empty orchestra”.

53 Jared of “Dallas Buyers Club” : LETO

Jared Leto is an actor and musician. In the world of music, Leto is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the rock band 30 Seconds to Mars. In the film world, one of his most critically acclaimed role was that of a heroin addict in “Requiem for a Dream”. He also appeared in “American Psycho”, “Panic Room” and “Lord of War”. Leto won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance in 2013’s “Dallas Buyers Club”, which he portraying a transgender woman.

“Dallas Buyers Club” is a 2013 film that tells the real-life story of AIDS patient Ron Woodroof. Woodroof smuggled unapproved AIDS drugs across the US border into Texas in opposition to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The movie won the Best Actor Oscar for Matthew McConaughey and Best Supporting Actor for Jared Leto.

54 Tolkien creatures : ENTS

Ents are tree-like creatures that live in J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth in his series of books “The Lord of the Rings”. “Ent” is an Old English word for “giant”.

55 Vietnamese soup : PHO

Pho (pronounced “fuh”) is a noodle soup from Vietnam that is a popular street food.

57 “__ the season … ” : ‘TIS

The music for the Christmas song “Deck the Halls” is a traditional Welsh tune that dates back to the 16th century. The same tune was used by Mozart for a violin and piano duet. The lyrics with which we are familiar (other than the “f-la-la”) are American in origin, and were recorded in the 19th century.

“’Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la la la la!”

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Gives in to gravity : SAGS
5 Annoying little kids : IMPS
9 Hunter’s plastic duck, e.g. : DECOY
14 Clear off the road, as snow : PLOW
15 Actress Gilbert of “The Conners” : SARA
16 Make amends : ATONE
17 What “Ten-hut!” is short for : ATTENTION
19 Income __ : TAXES
20 *Do business shrewdly : WHEEL AND DEAL
22 Tidy up : NEATEN
23 “__ you kidding?” : ARE
24 Off-the-wall : ODD
27 Walmart warehouse club : SAM’S
28 *Murmur lovingly : BILL AND COO
32 Muslim mystic : SUFI
33 Lake near Carson City : TAHOE
34 *Basic experimentation method : TRIAL AND ERROR
39 Sea item sold by 39-Down, in a tongue-twister : SHELL
40 Say no to : DENY
41 *Like a typical walking stride : HEEL AND TOE
44 Bygone Japanese audio brand : AIWA
48 Conclusion : END
49 Boardroom VIP : CEO
50 The Lone __ : RANGER
52 Compromising standpoint … and what the answers to starred clues contain? : MIDDLE GROUND
55 Deck alternative : PATIO
58 Belittle : DENIGRATE
59 17-syllable Japanese poem : HAIKU
60 Suffix with major : -ETTE
61 Auth. unknown : ANON
62 Desert retreats : OASES
63 Monica’s brother on “Friends” : ROSS
64 German thinker Immanuel : KANT
Down
1 Reproduces like salmon : SPAWNS
2 __ Gibson, first African-American to win a Grand Slam tennis title : ALTHEA
3 Pep rally cheer : GO TEAM!
4 Candy and such : SWEETS
5 Turkey’s largest city : ISTANBUL
6 Principal : MAIN
7 Spur to action : PROD
8 Beach footwear : SANDAL
9 Job of typing in facts and figures : DATA ENTRY
10 List-shortening abbr. : ET AL
11 Courteney who played Monica on “Friends” : COX
12 Single : ONE
13 “By all means!” : YES!
18 Phillies’ div. : NLE
21 Significant stretch of time : ERA
24 Twice cuatro : OCHO
25 Way in : DOOR
26 Forest female : DOE
29 “__ tree falls in the forest … ” : IF A
30 High-end chocolatier : LINDT
31 __ es Salaam : DAR
32 Lustful : SALACIOUS
34 At that time : THEN
35 Oboe or clarinet : REED
36 Not feeling well : ILL
37 __ volente: God willing : DEO
38 Vigorous qualities to put into one’s work : ENERGIES
39 See 39-Across : SHE
42 Nancy Drew’s beau : NED
43 Walk feebly : DODDER
44 Arctic jacket : ANORAK
45 Exotic lizard kept as a pet : IGUANA
46 Was happening : WENT ON
47 Passionate : ARDENT
51 Buenos Aires’ country: Abbr. : ARG
52 Karaoke prop that often ends in “c” nowadays : MIKE
53 Jared of “Dallas Buyers Club” : LETO
54 Tolkien creatures : ENTS
55 Vietnamese soup : PHO
56 Small battery : AAA
57 “__ the season … ” : ‘TIS

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